Toy accordion construction



TOY ACCORDION CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets$heet 2 Filed July 24, 1948 F TZIh m m H (N x 1 xi \g W N INVENTOR.

NICHOLAS 7'. BALDA/VZW BY g Lu; 5W

4 TTOQNEY Apnl 21, 1953 N. T. BALDANZA TOY ACCORDION CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 24, 1948 11-, I I iIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-l'llllrzlllllljl I, I I I 11.1

I I I'll! I 111' I III I 111111 I I I I I II '1' '1' r1 lllililll'lll INVEVTOR.

NICHOLAS TI BALDANZA April 21, 1953 N. T. BALDANZA TOY ACCORDION CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets$heet 4 Filed July 24, 1948 INVENTOR NICHOLAS 7'. B/ILDANZA A TTOENEY Patented Apr. 21, 1953 TOY ACCORDION CONSTRUCTION Nicholas T. Baldanza, Rutherford, N. J assignor to Columbia Protektosite Co., Inc., Carlstadt, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 24, 1948, Serial No. 40,481

9 Claims.

This invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to an improved toy accordion construction having a simulated piano keyboard octave treble.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve toy accordions of the character described which shall provide a construction that readily lends itself to molding the various parts of plastic material, which shall comprise few and simple parts that are readily assembled,-

which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture yet rugged to withstand rough usage, which shall simulate an accordion in both operation and appearance upon which childern may learn to play tunes with a minimum of instruction and practice, and which shall be eflicient and practical to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment of the invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a front view, partly in section, showing in detail the interior construction of the bass and treble sections of an accordion embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of said accordion, showing the exterior of the treble box section.

Fig. 4 is the other end view of said accordion, showing the exterior of the bass box section.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the bass section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the treble section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is an end view of the treble section, similar to Fig. 3, with the cover removed to show the lever action.

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged, fragmentary sectional views taken on lines 8-8 and 9-9, respectively, of Fig. 7 showing the lever mounting.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of one of the reed plates; and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line of Fig. 10-.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 20 denotes a toy accordion constructed to embody the invention and is seen to comprise a bass section B, a treble section T and a bellows E interposed therebetween and secured thereto so that on relative movement of said sections B and T the bellows E is correspondingly expanded and contracted.

The bass section'B comprises a box or housing 2| formed with an end wall 2|a having spaced openings 2|b and concentric arcuate slots 2|c. Said wall 2|a on the interior side supports a reed plate 24, and has extending through said openings 2|b, button headed plungers 25 which cooperate with said reed plate 24 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

Box 2| of bass section B may be molded of plastic or other suitable material into an integral unit with end wall 2 la having inwardly extending spaced wall portions 2 Id which form adjoining chambers C. Said wall portions 2|d supporting said reed plate 24 to face said wall 2| a so as to be interposed between the latter and the bellows E thereby sectionalizing the sound producing efiects of said reed plate 24. To retain the latter securely in position a suitable open frame member 26 clampingly fits about the periphery of the reed plate and is attached to the end and side surfaces of wall portion 2|d as by suitable lap joints 26a as is clear from Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

To interconnect bass section B with bellows E, said box end walls 2|a has spaced side wall extensions 2|e which may terminate in a recessed rim 2| 1 for seating and fastening a corresponding shaped border end 2'|a of the bellows pleated structure 21 in a suitable airtight joint.

If desired integrally formed strap loops 2|g and studs 2|h may be provided to extend from the exterior of said wall extension 2|e as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. Said loops 2|g and studs 2|h serving as part of means (not shown) for suspending the accordion 20 from the body of the player in the well understood manner.

Each plunger 25 may be molded of plastic with an axial bore 25a positioned toward the reed plate 24 when the plunger extends through opening 2|b, the other end of said bore being closed to provide a finger seat or button head 25b for manipulating same. Said plunger may have a radially extending flange 250 of sufficient area to cover the arcuate slots 2|c when the plunger is in assembled position with the flange 25c resiliently urged to abut the interior side of said end wall by a suitable compression spring 28 seated in said bore interposed between the plunger bore and the reed plate and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, forms an air valve stop for chamber C.

Reed plate 26 has a suitable number of pairs of vibrating reeds 24a and 24b, positioned as closures for reed spaces 24c arranged to produce a series of musical tones in diatonic scale. Each reed 24a may consist of a thin elongated fiat strip of metal riveted at one end and mounted to lie against one side of said plate 24 and the corresponding reed 2 th of like construction is provided to lie against an opposite side of said plate to produce like notes so that one of the reeds of a given pair is actuated by air currents traveling through slots 240 formed in said plate 24 in one direction and the other reeds of such pairs is actuated by air currents traveling through a corresponding slot 240 in the opposite direction,

said slots Z lc being of slightly less area than the strips forming said reeds. .Thus, as is clear from Fig. 5, when the bellows are compressed, reeds 24a may be actuated and when the bellows are expanded reeds 24b may be actuated and reeds 24a are then ineffective.

Treble section T as shown in :Figs. 3. and 2 also includes a housing or box 3! which may be made of a single plastic molding similar to bass box 2|. .Box 3-1 may he .formed with an end wall am having spaced openings or air passages 3 |b andsupporting on the interior side thereof reed plate 34.

Said end wall-31a may be formed withinwardly extending spaced wall portions 31d whichiprovide adjoining chambers IS. :Sa-id wall portions 34d support said reed plate 34 to face end Wall 3411 so as to be interposed between the latter and bellows E thereby sectionalizing the sound producing eifeots of the reed plate. Itwill be noted in :Fig. 1 that in :treble section Tthere is provided a single chamber S for each pair :of reeds 3:311, 3 21) whereas in bass section 113 each chamber C serves 'a plurality of pairs of :reeds 124a and 24b. Said reed plate 34 and reeds 3411, 341) are similar in construction to reed plate 24 and reeds 24a, 24b, respectively, 'afore described. An open clamping frame 36 secures reed plate 34 firmly in position in the identical manner as described above for fastening plate 24 :by frame 26 of the said bassse'ction 58. Box 3| may also "be formed with strap loops 3 I and studs 3|h corresponding to loops 2|g and studs 2th or bass box 21 and cooperating therewith in suspending the accor- (iron as afore described.

Treble "section T has a series of double ended or crank levers ll and as :seen in Figs. 7, 8 ands) may constitute a separately molded unit having a "finger :lrey end portion Ma, a valve stop end portion em, and an intermediate portion 45c interconnecting said finger key and valve :stop portions in an obtuse angular relation; Said intermediate portion 410 may have integrally formed aligned cross studs 41d journal'ed i open slotted bearing blocks 31c which may be molded as uniformly spaced extensions from the .exterior side of end wall 31a as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. said bearing blocks 31c and studs Md trunnion levers iii and also serve as spacers therefor.

To prevent levers 4| from being dislodged from their respective trunnioned =open slotted blocks 31c a molded retaimng cover or grill 50 has on a rear side adjacent an edge thereof bearing eaps 56a uniformlyrspaced apart to correspond "to said open slotted blocks :3le which in the assembly forms a barrier to retain the studs Md sin e1Tec tive trunnioning position. A support Bland a brace -5'|-a may constitute a single .moldedunit which is carried by box 3| through suitable .fas-

'4 tening means such as adhesive or by fusing or other means, cover or grill 50 being secured in place to the top of the brace 5|a by similar adhesive fastening or by fusing as desired. Said grill 50, brace 5m and an underlying portion of end wall 3|a spaced from said grill form an enclosure for the valve stop end portions Mb and blocks 3| e, but leaving the finger key end portion Ma exposed to provide a keyboard 55.

Finger key ends Ma 0f levers 4| may be marked successively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, '7, and 8 constituting a complete octave, each lever 4| controlling a separate note thereof. In this respect levers 4| dilfer from plungers 2'5 since the latter as shown in Figs. 1 and2each control more than one note.

When levers 4-] are mounted in their respective bearing blocks 3|e, their valve stop ends Mb, extending under grill 53, form closures or stops for :openings 3|b. The finger key ends 4|a lie over extension support 5| and are spring pressed inany suitable manner as by leaf springs 52, one spring for each lever 4i. Springs #52 are pos1.- tionecl to engage the under-surfacebf the finger key ends 4|a, their normal action being to push; finger key ends Ma away from sup-port 5| causing the valve stop ends 411) to bear tightly against openings lllb and more especially against raised rim beads or bosses 3|c which surround said openings 3). Spring 52 may comprise a -plu-. rality of separate and spaced independent spring members secured to support 5|, or as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 may constitute .a plurality of spaced leaves 52a formed of a single spring and extending from a strip portion .5212 the latter being secured to said member support by any suitable means such .as batten strip .53.

To simulate the standard keyboard of .a conventionalaccordiona plurality of simulated black keys 54 maybe provided in keyboard 55.. The finger key ends 41a. are cut-out to accommodate said keys '54 which aredummy so that the entire keyboard has the appearance of a professional instrument. These dummy .keys 54 may. eachconstitute a separate molding ora single molding joined by means of an integral cross-.barwhich' as shown in Fig.3.may be batten '53.

The practical application of the invention will now be apparent. After constructing and a5- sembling the parts as described above and shown in the drawing, the instrument .20 may be layed in the same manner in which accordions are normally played, namely, by selectively depressing and releasing finger key ends Ma and button heads .25b together or in certain sequences to produce amelody when the bellows Bis pumped, that is, when extended or contracted. Pumping the bellows B provides'an airflow-in either.direction through the reed plates 24 or .34 when the openings 31b and arcuate slots 2| c, respectivelyr are open to communicate the respective chambers C and S with the atmosphere at which-time the air in passing through .slots 260 in the reed plates 24 or 3 1 will vibrate one of the needs in. the pair depending upon the directionopair vflow. Both reeds, in afgiven pair, are tuned alike :so that depressing a given finger key 41d will sound thesamenote when the air flow one direction as whenin the opposite direction.

The series of pairs of reeds in reed plate 34 may be tuned .to constitute the :eight notes of the diatonic scale in a desired key, which in :ordertjocorrespond to the eight white finger keys of the keyboardmay be the key of C major. The series of pairs of reeds in plate 2 4 may be arransedto constitute three-chords in therkeyaf .0 ,1;

5 pairs of reeds in each chord being positioned to lie in one of the chambers C so that by depressing the appropriate button head 25b, the desired chord will be sounded.

Each finger key note Ma may be designated by numerals such as 1, 2, 3 etc. corresponding to its relative position in the octave to enable a child, who is unfamiliar with reading sheet music, to play melodies simply from a page of printed numerals indicating the sequence of notes constituting a melody. The three chords in the bass likewise may be designated by like numerals or letters (not shown) adapted to the same purpose.

It will now be apparent that only a few molded parts are required, namely, the bass and treble boxes, each being a unitary molded structure, for supporting the reeds and operatively mounting the one-piece levers and the simplified plungers, which are readily assembled into a sturdy construction that will retain effective adjustment capable of withstanding the hard usage as a toy and yet satisfactorily serve as an adequate musical instrument.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an improved toy accordion construction whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A toy accordion having a bass section, a

treble section and a bellows interconnecting said bass and treble sections, each of said sections comprising a molded plastic sound box having an end wall formed with inwardly projecting integral wall portions spaced apart to provide adjoining air chambers within each of said boxes, said end wall having an opening communicating each of said air chambers with the atmosphere, reed plates supported by said wall portions one in each box interposed between the bellows and said air chambers, each of said boxes having spaced side wall extensions terminating in an exterior recessed rim securing one border rim end of the bellows thereto in an airtight joint, spring actuated closures mounted directly on said sections for each of said end wall openings, said closures being finger operated for movement free from said openings.

2. A toy accordion as defined in claim 1 in which each of said openings in the bass section end wall is formed with a central circular hole with concentric arcuate slots extending thereabout, a plunger extending through said circular hole and having an axial bore closed at an outer end thereof to provide a button head, said plunger having a radially extending flange of suiflcient area to cover said arcuate slots, a compression spring positioned within said bore and bearing against said reed plate to normally urge said flange in position for releasably closing said slots.

3. A toy accordion having a molded plastic treble sound box formed with an extended support and with an end wall having spaced openings communicating a bellows chamber with the atmosphere, a reed plate supported on the interior of said sound box disposed in a plane substantially parallel to said end wall between the bellows and said openings, and closure means for each of said openings including a double ended integrally molded lever terminated at one end with a finger key portion, and at the other end in a valve stop portion, an intermediate intel-connecting portion for positioning said finger key and valve stop portions in an obtuse angular relation, integrally formed aligned cross studs projecting from said intermediate portion for trunnioning said lever on said box said end wall having spaced open slotted bearing blocks extending from the outer side thereof for trunnioning said levers thereon, spring means interposed between said finger key portions and said box extended support for normally retaining said valve stop portions in effective position closing said spaced openings, and a grill positioned to extend over said end wall, uniformly spaced apart bearing caps formed on the rear side of said grill to cover said open slotted bearing blocks for retaining the cross studs in trunnioning position.

4. In a toy accordion having a bellows, a bass section connected to said bellows comprising a molded plastic sound box having an end wall, inwardly extending spaced Wall portions forming adjoining air chambers within said box, said end wall being formed with spaced circular openings and concentric arcuate slots extending about each opening communicating each of said air chambers with the atmosphere, a reed plate supported by said wall portions interposed between the bellows and said air chambers, and means for selectively opening and closing said slots to permit air flow between the bellows and the atmosphere through the reed plate, said means including a plunger extending through each of said circular openings, said plunger having an axial bore closed at an outer end thereof to provide a button head, a radially extending flange carried by each plunger of suflicient area to cover said slots, and a compression spring positioned within said bore and bearing against said reed plate to normally urge said flange in position for releasably closing said slots.

5. In a toy accordion, a treble section connected to a bellows comprising a molded plastic sound box having an end wall, inwardly extending spaced wall portions forming adjoining air chambers within said box, said end wall being formed with spaced openings communicating each of said air chambers with the atmosphere, a reed plate supported by said wall portions interposed between the bellows and said air chambers, a keyboard support mounted on said sound box, a bracing portion for mounting said support on said box, a double ended integrally molded lever for each of said openings, each of said levers having a valve stop end portion and a fin er key end portion interconnected by an intermediate portion in an obtuse angular relation, said intermediate portion having integrally formed aligned cross studs, said end wall having spaced open slotted bearing blocks extending from the outer side thereof for trunnioning said levers thereon, said finger key end portions forming a keyboard overlying said support, a grill positioned to extend over said brace, uniformly spaced apart bearing caps formed on the rear side of said grill to cover said open slotted bearing blocks for retaining the cross studs in trunnioning position, and spring means urging each of said finger key end portions away from said F7 snpport 'for@normally f'retainingssaid 1 valve *top endmcrtions in: effective position. for. closing-said spaced :ppenings.

316.:The toy; accordion as:defined -.in claimin- @cludingspring: means formedwith.= spaced :leaves extendingito :coact with each; of. said fingerends, andwamatten: strip for seouring said r-springrmeans and leaves to:saida support.

liTheatoy'; accordion asidefined in.rclaim:5 :including. spring t meansrf'ormed with spaced leaves :extending-zto:coactv witlneachi. of said finger key 7 ends, Sta batten-1 strip 1 for" securing said spring x-mean's and leavesi to saidsupport; dummy keys :ea'cli integrally: formediwith saida'batten' 'stripzto lie betweenzad-j acentifingerxkey' ends,-.-.theilatter simulating; a: piand'zkeyboard.

f IBILIn atoy-l accordion having-a bellows; a treble =sec'tion: comprising a rone+piece moldediiplastic -sou1id boxiahaving an= end-"wall, spaced wallportionsf extending inwardly I from said end wall "forming adjoining lair chambers within said box, said .end-=wall being formedwith spaced" openings communicating each of said air chambers "with the"atmosphere andsidewaI-ls extending fromjthe" perimeter of-*'said endwall to Torm a substantially dished structure, saidend" walls having a recessed rim borderlfor'v forming" a seating joint with saidbllows; areed plate'disposed in aplane' substantially parallel. tosaid end wall supported by. said spaced "wall portions; akey board'supporth'avingla bracingpportion mounted on said; box; and a grill. positioned to extend over saidbracing portion-to cover: an areavof said-end v, References Cited-in the :filecf this-patent UNITEDUSTATES PATENTS Number 7 "Name "Date "543,367 'Zielke July'23, .1895 1,791,999 Beyer; Feb; 10; 1931 '1,890;830 j Schlicht Dec. 13, 1932 .1',904,768 Rieschick Apr. 18,1938

1. 2,036,545 "Schmidt I Apr."7,"1936 2353;817 Terhaar 'Apr.. 11,1 1939 2,185,984 Lindeberg 'J an. '2; 1940 FOREIGN-PATENTS Number "Country Date 

